Comments on: The Derby at Epsom http://www.popular-nostalgia.com/the-derby-at-epsom-295/ Because everything looks better through rose-tinted glasses... Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:36:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: » The Derby at Epsom: History and Running for 2008 » The World’s Greatest Blog http://www.popular-nostalgia.com/the-derby-at-epsom-295/comment-page-1/#comment-884 » The Derby at Epsom: History and Running for 2008 » The World’s Greatest Blog Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:04:47 +0000 http://www.popular-nostalgia.com/?p=295#comment-884 [...] The race itself is a flat sprint. Epsom is shaped almost like a horse shoe. The start takes the jockeys along a fast straight that lead to a long and gradual bend. The bend sharpens at Tattenham Corner where the horses slow down before picking up into the home straight to finish in front of the Royal Box. It is Tattenham Corner where Emily Wilding Davison threw herself under the King’s horse in order to protest the lack of wom.... [...] [...] The race itself is a flat sprint. Epsom is shaped almost like a horse shoe. The start takes the jockeys along a fast straight that lead to a long and gradual bend. The bend sharpens at Tattenham Corner where the horses slow down before picking up into the home straight to finish in front of the Royal Box. It is Tattenham Corner where Emily Wilding Davison threw herself under the King’s horse in order to protest the lack of wom…. [...]

]]> By: Linda http://www.popular-nostalgia.com/the-derby-at-epsom-295/comment-page-1/#comment-883 Linda Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:52:52 +0000 http://www.popular-nostalgia.com/?p=295#comment-883 Vincent O'Brien, six-time Derby winning trainer, has said of the old Derbys: "It is over 65 years since I took out my first trainer’s licence and so much has changed at Epsom during that time - starting stalls, supplementary entries, even greater prize money, patrol cameras, watering, elaborate grandstands, improvements to the track and even a Saturday Derby. But some things have never changed - the pounding heartbeat one feels as the horses come round Tattenham Corner and the thrill of the uphill finish, whether the victory is easy like Nijinsky’s or by an inch like Roberto’s. For me an Epsom Derby win is the greatest prize of all - the ultimate goal for a trainer - and it has been thus for over 200 years." Vincent O'Brien hit the post-war National Hunt world with a bang, winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup four times, landing a hat-trick in the Champion Hurdle and an amazing Grand National three-timer with Early Mist (1953), Royal Tan (1954) and Quare Times (1955) before switching his focus to Flat racing. The first of the Irish trainer’s six Derby riumphs came in 1962 when Larkspur kept his feet while seven rivals sensationally fell on the descent to Tattenham Corner. Larkspur was the first of two Derby winners trained by O’Brien for Raymond Guest, the US ambassador to Ireland. The second was the brilliant Sir Ivor, who took the Epsom Classic in 1968 with a devastating burst of acceleration that carried him clear of the runner-up, Connaught. O'Brien saddled the great Nijinsky to win the race two years later before becoming the first English Triple Crown winner since Bahram in 1935 and the latest colt to achieve this feat. Lester Piggott partnered both Sir Ivor and Nijinsky and “The Longfellow" was at his best when driving home Roberto for a thrilling short-head triumph over Rheingold to give O'Brien his fourth Derby success in 1972. O'Brien’s final two Derby winners carried the colours of Robert Sangster. The Minstrel prevailed in 1977, again with Piggott determinedly driving home the Ballydoyle colt to edge out Hot Grove, while the fragile but exceptional Golden Fleece could not have won with more ease under Pat Eddery in 1982. The Sangster/O'Brien/Eddery combination almost won the Derby again two years later when El Gran Senor went down by a shorthead to Secreto. However, this defeat was also a proud moment for O'Brien - his son David trained Secreto. O'Brien’s last Derby runner was Fatherland who finished ninth under Lester Piggott in 1993. The trainer retired the following year with a phenomenal record of 16 English Classic victories, 27 Irish Classic wins, three Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe successes and 25 Royal Ascot triumphs. Vincent O’Brien, six-time Derby winning trainer, has said of the old Derbys:
“It is over 65 years since I took out my first trainer’s licence and so much has changed at Epsom during that time – starting stalls, supplementary entries, even greater prize money, patrol cameras, watering, elaborate grandstands, improvements to the track and
even a Saturday Derby.

But some things have never changed – the pounding heartbeat one feels as the horses come round Tattenham Corner and the thrill
of the uphill finish, whether the victory is easy like Nijinsky’s or by an inch like Roberto’s.

For me an Epsom Derby win is the greatest prize of all – the ultimate goal for a trainer – and it has been thus for over 200 years.”

Vincent O’Brien hit the post-war National Hunt world with a bang, winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup four times, landing a hat-trick in the Champion Hurdle and an amazing Grand National three-timer
with Early Mist (1953), Royal Tan (1954) and Quare Times (1955) before switching his focus to Flat racing.

The first of the Irish trainer’s six Derby riumphs came in 1962 when Larkspur kept his feet while seven rivals sensationally fell on
the descent to Tattenham Corner.

Larkspur was the first of two Derby winners trained by O’Brien for Raymond Guest, the US ambassador to Ireland. The second was
the brilliant Sir Ivor, who took the Epsom Classic in 1968 with a devastating burst of acceleration that carried him clear of the
runner-up, Connaught.

O’Brien saddled the great Nijinsky to win the race two years later before becoming the first English Triple Crown winner since Bahram in
1935 and the latest colt to achieve this feat. Lester Piggott partnered both Sir Ivor and Nijinsky and “The Longfellow” was at his best
when driving home Roberto for a thrilling short-head triumph over Rheingold to give O’Brien his fourth Derby success in 1972.

O’Brien’s final two Derby winners carried the colours of Robert Sangster. The Minstrel prevailed in 1977, again with Piggott
determinedly driving home the Ballydoyle colt to edge out Hot Grove, while the fragile but exceptional Golden Fleece could not have won with more ease under Pat Eddery in 1982.

The Sangster/O’Brien/Eddery combination almost won the Derby again two years later when El Gran Senor went down by a shorthead
to Secreto. However, this defeat was also a proud moment for O’Brien – his son David trained Secreto.

O’Brien’s last Derby runner was Fatherland who finished ninth under Lester Piggott in 1993. The trainer retired the following year with a phenomenal record of 16 English Classic victories, 27 Irish Classic wins, three Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe successes and 25 Royal Ascot triumphs.

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